2021 Annual Consumer Confidence Water Quality Report OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY
Dear Customers,
This past year has been difficult for everyone, and the challenges COVID-19 presented were unprecedented. To meet our commitments to the health and safety of our employees, customers, and our community, we had to adapt and quickly learn how to conduct our business differently. We also had to learn how to work with other stakeholders impacted by the outbreak, including our customers, suppliers, contractors, regulatory agencies, and the local government. While facing these new challenges, we focused on our mission and provided the best service possible under these circumstances. We accomplished this by implementing COVID-19 mitigation efforts and establishing a centralized incident command team. In conjunction with operations, the command team was able to orchestrate our efforts to mitigate the risk presented by COVID-19. I am proud to report that we successfully achieved our goals and provided our customers and the community with safe, reliable, and uninterrupted water and wastewater services.
However, as the world begins to get back to normal, we will remain vigilant. GHU will continue to take all reasonable and appropriate, science- based, actions required to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 on our employees, customers, and our community. In addition, we will closely monitor guidance provided by the CDC, the World Health Organization, and our state and local public health agencies and make decisions accordingly.
We are very proud of our efforts and accomplishments during these trying times. However, we cannot take all the credit. Thank you to our customers and community for your efforts and patience throughout the past year. Fairbanksans pulled together and prevailed, and we are honored to serve our community.
If you have further questions, please contact us at 907-479-3118 or [email protected].
Sincerely,
Oran Paul, President
2 GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES | 2021 WATER QUALITY REPORT DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT Golden Heart Utilities, Inc. (GHU) is proud of the fine drinking water we provide and are happy to report to you that we have met or surpassed established water quality standards.
This annual water quality report describes the source of our water, lists the results of our 2020 tests, and contains important information about water and health.
Benefits of Chlorination Disinfection, a chemical process used to control disease causing microorganisms by killing or inactivating them, is unquestionably the most important step in drinking water treatment.
Before communities began routinely treating drinking water with chlorine, starting with Chicago and Jersey City in 1908, cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, and hepatitis killed thousands of U.S. residents annually.
Drinking water chlorination and filtration have helped to virtually eliminate these diseases in the United States. Significant strides in public health are directly linked to the adoption of drinking water chlorination. In fact, the filtration of drinking water plus the use of chlorine is probably the most significant public health advancement in human history.
Where Our Water Comes From We operate three wells, 70 to 90 feet deep, which pump an average of 3.2 million gallons per day. These wells tap the huge aquifer that lies beneath the Tanana Valley.
Water Testing and Your Health To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes limits on the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Similarly, the Food Drug Administration (FDA) regulates bottled drinking water.
Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
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2021 WATER QUALITY REPORT | GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES 3 Water Testing and Your Health Source Water Assessment The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) (continued from page 3) Source Water Assessment program was implemented to make public water systems and the public they serve aware The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled of potential wellhead and watershed contamination sources. water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, An informed public is the best ally in wellhead and watershed springs, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the protection. GHU’s most recent source water assessment land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring identified possible contaminating activities (PCAs) located minerals and radioactive material, and can pick up substances in the Fairbanks area. PCAs at the top of GHU’s source water resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. (well water) vulnerability ranking include: industrial activities, Contaminants that may be present in source water include: businesses, fuel storage tanks, sewer lines, residential areas, landfill, airport, class V injection wells, and ADEC recognized • Microbiological contaminants, such as viruses and contaminated sites. Due to the PCAs in our area, the Fairbanks bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, aquifer received a high to very high vulnerability ranking. septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and Despite the high vulnerability ranking, GHU’s water quality wildlife. remains stable and EPA compliant. If contaminant levels • Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which above the allowable limits are ever detected in the source and/ can be naturally occurring or result from urban storm or distribution water, you will receive notification of the results. runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil Some of the contaminants that could be found in our source and gas production, mining or farming. water are removed during the water treatment process prior • Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety to distribution. GHU performs numerous required tests on the of sources such as agriculture, stormwater runoff, and water it provides to its customers. Regular monitoring of the residential uses. source wells, treatment process, and the distribution system helps to ensure water quality. • Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organics, which are by-products of industrial In addition to ADEC and EPA required testing, GHU takes processes and petroleum production, and can also come added samples from the distribution system and the source from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic wells to help ensure the safety of the water we supply to systems. our customers. This sampling includes general water quality tests such as pH, total dissolved solids, conductivity, turbidity, • Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally hardness, alkalinity, salinity, and bacteriological analysis. occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and The weekly water quality tests and quarterly volatile organic mining activities. chemical samples are meant to alert GHU to the presence of source water contamination.
Consumers With Special Health Concerns If each of us does our part to protect our water resources, we can ensure that future generations will have ample supplies Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants of high quality water. A complete copy of the source water in drinking water than the general population. Immuno- assessment document can be obtained by contacting Golden compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing Heart Utilities’ customer service department at 907-479-3118. chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV / AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.
EPA / CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline 800-426-4791.
4 GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES | 2021 WATER QUALITY REPORT Testing Our Water The ADEC and US EPA require GHU to test the drinking water we distribute regularly to make sure that it meets State and Federal requirements.
GHU collects numerous water samples from locations throughout the community to monitor the quality of water as it travels to your tap.
The Detected Contaminant Table on page six shows substances that are regulated by the US EPA and ADEC and that were detected in our finished drinking water. GHU tests for many other substances, but because they were not detected, they are not reported here.
The State requires GHU to monitor for certain contaminants less than once a year because concentrations of these contaminants are not expected to vary significantly from year to year.
HOW TO READ THE WATER QUALITY TABLES
AL MRDLG ppb Action Level or the concentration Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Parts per billion, or micrograms per which, if exceeded, triggers treatment Goal or the level of a disinfectant in liter (µg/L). The same as one minute or other requirements which a water the distribution system below which in 2,000 years or one penny in system must follow. there is no known or expected risk to $10,000,000. health. MRDLGs allow for a margin of MCL safety. ppt Maximum Contaminant Level or the Parts per trillion or nanograms per highest level of a contaminant that is NA liter (ng/L). One ppt is equivalent to allowed in drinking water. MCLs are Not applicable. one grain of sugar in an Olympic- set as close to the MCLGs as feasible size swimming pool or one second in using the best available treatment NTU 32,000 years. technology. A Nephelometric Turbidity Unit is a measure of the clarity of water. The “<” symbol MCLG Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just A symbol which means ‘less than’. Maximum Contaminant Level Goal or noticeable to the average person. A result of “< 2.0” means that the the level of a contaminant in drinking contaminant was not detected above water below which there is no known pCi/L the reportable level of 2.0. or expected risk to health. MCLGs Picocuries per liter (a measure of allow for a margin of safety. radioactivity).
MRDL ppm Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Parts per million, or milligrams per or the highest level of a disinfectant liter (mg/L). The same as one minute allowed in the distribution system. in two years or one penny in $10,000.
2021 WATER QUALITY REPORT | GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES 5 DETECTED CONTAMINANT TABLE
Contaminant Tested Units MCLG MCL Result Range Violation Typical Sources Radiological Contaminants Alpha Emitters 2017 pCi/L 0 15 2.5 NA No Erosion of natural deposits Radium 2017 pCi/L 0 5 0.41 NA No Erosion of natural deposits Inorganic Contaminants Arsenic 2020 ppb 0 10 N/D NA No Erosion of natural deposits Fluoride1 2020 ppm 4 4 0.1 NA No Erosion of natural deposits Barium 2020 ppm 2 2 0.046 NA No Erosion of natural deposits Disinfection By-Products Haloacetic Acids 2020 ppb 0 60 26.82 18.1 - 34.0 No By-product of water chlorination Total Trihalomethanes 2020 ppb 0 80 48.62 37.4 - 61.5 No By-product of water chlorination Disinfectants MRDLG MRDL Additive to control bacterial Free Chlorine 2020 ppm 0.543 0.09 - 0.77 No 4 4 growth Unregulated Contaminants4 Bromochloroacetic Acid 2019 ppb NA NA 0.68 < 0.03 - 0.73 NA Disinfection by-product Bromodichloroacetic Acid 2019 ppb NA NA 0.69 0.61 - 0.80 NA Disinfection by-product Dichloroacetic Acid 2020 ppb NA NA 11.0 4.9 - 17 NA Disinfection by-product Trichloroacetic Acid 2020 ppb NA NA 14.0 12.0 - 17.0 NA Disinfection by-product Manganese 2019 ppb NA NA 1.1 0.61 - 1.7 NA Erosion of natural deposits Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Firefighting foams, industrial PFHxS5 2020 ppt NA6 NA6 5.6 4.4 - 7.5 NA6 chemicals, and consumer goods Firefighting foams, industrial PFHxA5 2020 ppt NA6 NA6 2.8 2.0 - 3.1 NA6 chemicals, and consumer goods LHAL7 Firefighting foams, industrial PFOS5 2020 ppt NA6 3.2 2.7 - 4.2 No 70 chemicals, and consumer goods LHAL7 Firefighting foams, industrial PFOA5 2020 ppt NA6 2.9 < 2.0 - 4.3 No 70 chemicals, and consumer goods Lead and Copper AL 30 samples; Erosion of natural deposits; Lead 2019 ppb 0 1.8 No 15 0 exceeded AL plumbing corrosion AL 30 samples; Erosion of natural deposits; Copper 2019 ppm 1.3 0.08 No 1.3 0 exceeded AL plumbing corrosion
Data in this report is from the most recent testing done in accordance with regulations and presented as required by 40 CFR 141.153 and 141.154.
1 The addition of fluoride was halted on 6/15/2011 by City Ordinance No. 5849. 2 Reported as the highest locational running annual average. 3 Reported as the highest system-wide running annual average. 4 Our water system has sampled for a series of unregulated contaminants. Unregulated contaminants are those that don’t yet have a drinking water standard set by the EPA. The purpose of monitoring for these contaminants is to help the EPA decide whether the contaminants should have a standard. 5 Detected PFAS: perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA); perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) 6 Not applicable at this time, the EPA is currently studying PFAS to determine whether MCLG and MCL are needed. 7 The EPA’s lifetime health advisory level (LHAL) for PFOA and PFOS offers a margin of protection for all Americans throughout their life from adverse health effects resulting from exposure to PFOA and PFOS in drinking water.
6 GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES | 2021 WATER QUALITY REPORT OTHER MONITORING
In addition to the ADEC and EPA mandated sampling, our water system voluntarily tests for numerous additional substances to make certain your water is of the highest quality. Substance Frequency MCL 2020 Average Compare to MCL
Alkalinity Daily No Limit 128 ppm as CaCO3 -
Hardness Daily No Limit 142 ppm as CaCO3 - Turbidity Daily 1 NTU 0.10 NTU 10 times better Iron Daily 300 ppb 10 ppb 30 times better pH Daily 6.5 - 8.5 standard units 8.4 standard units within range Manganese Daily 50 ppb 10 ppb 5 times better Dissolved Solids Weekly 500 ppm 165 ppm 3 times better
Additional Information About Lead in Drinking Water If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing.
Golden Heart Utilities is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in household plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to two minutes before using water for drinking or cooking.
If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline 1-800-426-4791 or at: www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
Water that remains stationary within your home plumbing for Attention Property Owners and Managers extended periods of time can leach lead out of pipes joined with lead-containing solder as well as brass fixtures or galvanized This report is available at our administrative office located at 3691 pipes. Flushing fixtures has been found to be an effective Cameron Street or on our website at: www.akwater.com/ghu-ccr.pdf means of reducing lead levels. The flushing process could take from 30 seconds to 2 minutes or longer until it becomes cold Certain residents and tenants may not receive notice of this report or reaches a steady temperature. Flushing times can vary if the property owner or manager is receiving the water bill. While based on the length and materials of your service line (the pipe not required by law, property owners and managers, as well as connecting your home to the water main) and the plumbing business owners, are encouraged to provide this information to configuration in your home. For example, if your home is set their tenants. This report should be photocopied and distributed, or back far from the street or in an apartment complex, a longer posted in a prominent place at the facility. flushing time may be needed to lower lead levels. If you have a lead service line, run the water for three to five minutes (or longer if instructed to do so by your water provider) to reduce the potential lead exposure from the water. Please note that flushing may not be effective in high-rise buildings. Faucets, fittings, and valves, including those advertised as “lead-free,” may contribute lead to drinking water. Consumers should be aware of this when choosing fixtures and take appropriate precautions. Visit the NSF Web site at www.nsf.org to learn more about lead-containing plumbing fixtures. 2021 WATER QUALITY REPORT | GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES 7 PFAS: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What are PFOA and PFOS? What are PFAS levels in the U.S. population? PFOA and PFOS are perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — man- Most people in the United States and in other industrialized made chemicals that are resistant to oil, stains, grease, and countries have measurable amounts of PFAS in their blood. The water. They have been used to make carpets, fabrics for CDC estimates that the average blood concentrations of PFOA and clothing and furniture, paper packaging for food, non-stick PFOS are 2,100 ppt and 6,300 ppt respectively. cookware, and firefighting foams. PFOS and PFOA are no longer manufactured in the United States. Are my pets at risk? The health effects on animals are likely to be similar to the effects How can I be exposed to PFAS? on people. However, animals and humans do not always process PFAS have been used worldwide in industry and consumer chemicals the same way. Contact your veterinarian if you have products since the 1950s; they are released into the questions about PFAS and your pet’s health. environment (air, water, soil, etc.) when other products are made, used, or discarded. PFAS are very stable and persist What is GHU doing? in the environment for long periods of time. People can As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure the highest standards be exposed to these chemicals in house dust, indoor and of water quality, we are closely monitoring PFAS concentrations outdoor air, food, and drinking water. Because PFAS were used to confirm that they remain significantly lower than the EPA’s worldwide, stay in the environment for a long time, and travel lifetime health advisory levels. long distances in water and air, there are trace amounts all around us. The Utility commissioned a treatment design study to identify and pre-engineer PFAS treatment contingencies. In the event that What is an advisory level? PFAS concentrations exceed the LAHL, the preliminary design A lifetime health advisory level (LHAL) is the amount below information will allow the Utility to respond quickly. which no harm is expected from these chemicals. The EPA publishes LHALs to offer a margin of protection against Is GHU’s water safe to drink? adverse health effects to the most sensitive populations: Yes, the trace amounts of PFOA and PFOS detected are more than fetuses during pregnancy and breastfed infants. 90% lower than the EPA’s health advisory levels.
The LHALs are calculated based on the drinking water intake Where can I get more information? of lactating women, who drink more water than other people and can pass these chemicals along to nursing infants through • Alaska Environmental Public Health Program breastmilk. http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Epi/eph/Pages/default.aspx
The EPA has set separate and combined LHALs for PFOA and • Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry PFOS of 70 parts per trillion (ppt). https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
How can PFAS affect my health? • EPA Scientists are not yet certain about the possible health effects https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/research-and- resulting from human exposure to PFAS levels typically found polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas in our food and water. Some, but not all studies in humans have suggested that certain PFAS may affect the developing fetus • National Toxicology Program: and child. Potential health effects from exposure to PFAS may https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/pubhealth/hat/noms/pfoa/index.html include: If you have questions about PFAS and your health, please consult • Affect the developing fetus and child, including possible your healthcare provider. changes in growth, learning, and behavior
• Decrease fertility and interfere with the body’s natural hormones
• Increase cholesterol
• Affect the immune system
• Increase cancer risk
To learn more about potential health effects of PFAS, contact the Alaska Section of Epidemiology at 907-269-8000.
8 GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES | 2021 WATER QUALITY REPORT Have a question about your water system?
Contact Golden Heart Utilities, Inc. PO Box 80370 Fairbanks, AK 99708
Phone: 907-479-3118 Email: [email protected] Web: www.akwater.com
2021 WATER QUALITY REPORT | GOLDEN HEART UTILITIES 9